1. Field
The disclosed embodiments relate to a panel assembly, such as panels forming the external skin of a ventral fairing of an aircraft. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relates to a sealing joint designed to seal the liaison between two adjacent panels of such an assembly.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
In the aeronautical domain, fitting aircraft with a ventral fairing is known. The ventral fairing, or soft belly, comprises an external panel assembly which forms the external skin of the fairing. The ventral fairing is subjected to numerous thermal and mechanical deformations, both during the assembly of the fairing as well as the successive uses of the corresponding aircraft. In particular, the external skin panels of the ventral fairing have a tendency to become deformed. For example, the distance between two adjacent panels can increase or diminish according to the constraints to which the ventral fairing is subjected.
The use of a sealing joint in the gap existing between two adjacent panels is known in order to seal the joint between the two adjacent panels.
In FIG. 1 of the state of the art, such a sealing joint 1 fills a gap 2 situated between a first 3 and a second 4 external panel of the ventral fairing of an aircraft. The sealing joint 1 comprises a central part 5 which fills the gap 2 and an internal fixing part 6, extending in the same plan and parallel to the central part 5. A thickness of the central part 5 is strictly greater than a thickness of the internal part 6, so that the said parts 5, 6 form two successive plateaus. Thickness is defined as being the dimension extending vertically in relation to the external panels 3, 4.
The panels 3, 4 are fixed to one another via a support part 7. More specifically, the support part 7 is fixed by a first fixing means 8 to the panel 3 and by a second fixing means 9 to the second panel 4. The internal part 6 of the joint 1 is compressed between the support part 7 and the second panel 4 of the fairing. The internal part 6 of the joint 1 being traversed by the fixing means 9, the joint 1 is partially fixed to the panels.
When assembling two panels 3, 4 of the fairing, the central 5 part is cut to the dimensions of the gap 2 obtained in the assembly. The gap 2 dimensions will vary during the assembly of all the fairing panels, and also during the use of the said fairing. When the force of compression brings the panels 3 and 4 closer together, the gap 2 is reduced which can lead to the compression of the central 5 part of the joint 1. Conversely, when the space 2 is increased due to the separation of the panels 3 and 4 of the external skin of the ventral fairing, the central 5 part of the sealing joint makes it no longer possible to completely fill the gap 2. In this case, the presence of a groove between the central 5 part and the leading edge of one of the panels, can cause noise and whistling and create an aerodynamic drag. Furthermore, the airflow on the external skin of the ventral fairing can bring out the central 5 part of the sealing joint 1 from the gap 2 and pull out all or part of the said joint 1.